


Farewell

by KrisPilar



Series: Tales of Thedas [2]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Crushes, F/F, Goodbyes, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-07
Updated: 2017-06-07
Packaged: 2018-11-10 07:12:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11122356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KrisPilar/pseuds/KrisPilar
Summary: Andrea Hawke has always had a crush on a certain Lay Sister of the Lothering Chantry. When she hears Leliana will be leaving, she feels she has to say goodbye to her friend.





	Farewell

Andrea Hawke watched as Sister Leliana made her way through the crowd to talk to a pair of elves nearby—one of whom was wearing a cloak, hood pulled over his head. Andrea’s gaze remained on the Sister, however. She had enjoyed it a bit too much when Leliana had stepped in to help with the ass of merchant who was giving her and Bethany problems. Andrea always loved talking with the Sister with the Orlesian accent. She had the best stories and, though Andrea felt there was more to her, she never asked about the woman’s past. After all, Leliana was special enough to not tell anyone she and Bethany were mages, she felt that meant Leliana deserved privacy herself.

“Oh, honestly, Andrea!”

“What?” Andrea turned to her sister, met with a dark face glaring at her in return. Bethany huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Sister Leliana is a member of the Chantry!” Bethany said, “She’s a Chantry _Sister_! And look at you, staring after her like a sick puppy.”

“I was not,” Andrea retorted.

Bethany rolled her eyes, clearly not believing it. Andrea frowned at her sister, though she found herself glancing out of the corner of her eye to see Leliana was walking alone with the cloaked elf now. The other—a female—stood alone and confused among the crowd. What was going on? Andrea’s curiosity was always known to get the better of her. She could never resist a mystery.

“Hey, Bethany, she looks like she could use your help,” Andrea said, pointing towards the confused elf, “The others just abandoned her, looks like.”

“Oh, I know what you’re doing,” Bethany said sharply, poking Andrea in the chest, “You just want me gone so you can go talk to Sister Leliana.”

“Why, you know me so well,” Andrea said, flicking her sister on the nose, “I’ll be back soon.”

Leaving a very angry Bethany behind, Andrea turned and hurried towards the Chantry. She passed by the young elf woman, who was now gripping a coin bag in her hands and looking very lost. Andrea almost wanted to stop and help her, but the elf hurried off towards a swordsman nearby before she could. Andrea decided the elf was fine on her own and made her way towards the Chantry.

Despite the crowds, the only sound in the Chantry was that of the Chanters near the alter to the back. There were two Templars by the door and Andrea ducked her head as she passed them. She and her family had always been careful to avoid them. Neither Andrea nor Bethany wanted to end up in a Circle, after all. Not after all their father did to keep them free.

Andrea did not see Leliana at first. As she went further into the building, however, she spotted the red-haired woman heading into a side room with the cloaked elf. Andrea was always too curious for her own good and started to move towards them, but stopped when she noticed another Templar guarding the entrance. As the door shut, Andrea noticed the Revered Mother rising from a chair in the room. Why was Leliana taking this stranger to talk with the Revered Mother?

“Do you need something?” the Templar guarding the door asked. Andrea turned to him with a smile.

“No, sorry, I’ll be going now,” she said as she moved away.

She was not going to leave without talking to Leliana, though. She was far too curious about what was going on. Besides, she would take any excuse to talk to Leliana again…Even if she did have to pray for forgiveness later for the thoughts she often had about a Chantry Sister.

Andrea settled herself on a bench, trying hard to blend in. There were plenty of others sitting around, listening to the Chanters so it was not a hard thing to do. Andrea kept her head down with her gaze locked on the door nearby.

It seemed like ages before the door opened again. Leliana came out of the room, the elf right behind her. He had the hood of his cloak down now, though he was starting to pull it back up around his face, looking very uncomfortable as he glanced around. It was enough time, however, for Andrea to see the dark markings that swirled around his face. He was Dalish. Why would a Dalish elf want to talk to a Chantry’s Revered Mother?

Andrea remained still while the two passed, talking in quiet whispers.

“I have a few preparations I need to make,” Leliana was saying, “But I will meet you and Aster at the edge of the village once I have gathered my things and proper armor.”

“Are you sure you want to do this?” the Dalish asked. Andrea glanced out of the corner of her eye to see Leliana nodding.

“It is my time to leave here,” she said, “The Maker wishes me to travel with you, and that is what I shall do.”

Andrea stared in disbelief as the cloaked elf left a bit too quickly and Leliana turned, heading deeper into the Chantry. Leliana was leaving? That was not a thought that Andrea liked. She had grown very close to the woman—too close, probably. The thought of not being able to see Leliana’s soft smile or to hear her singing in the Chantry garden squeezed tightly at Andrea’s chest.

Andrea slowly rose to her feet to follow Leliana. If she was indeed leaving, she wanted to say goodbye to the one friend she had within Lothering. Andrea always knew she would be leaving Lothering at some point. The darkspawn were a threat and Andrea could not risk her family, but she had always deluded herself in the thought of Leliana being here. She would be able to contact her; write letters and one day see the woman again. Now, however, the reality was sinking in. It was foolish to think anyone would stay. Everyone would be abandoning Lothering eventually. Faced with the reality so soon, however, was another matter.

As Andrea approached a small room, she noticed Leliana folding travel clothes and laying them on the bed. Her back was to the door and Andrea could not help but stare. The woman was still in her Chantry robes, humming under her breath as she worked. It was really going to happen. She would never be able to hear that humming again. Never again see the woman with such beautiful red hair that Andrea often longed to reach out and tuck behind the woman’s ear...

“Hello Andrea,” Leliana spoke without even turning around, her focus still on her packing, “I had a feeling you would be by.”

Leliana always had that way about her. She somehow knew when Andrea was approaching, no matter how quiet the mage tried to be. It was one of the things Andrea had always been curious about. Just another mystery she would never solve about Leliana.

“You’re really leaving, aren’t you?” Andrea asked. Leliana turned to her with that soft smile that always made Andrea’s heart seem to skip a beat.

“Eavesdropping, Andrea? What have I told you about that curiosity of yours?”

Despite herself, Andrea smiled. Leliana always had a way of bringing out the smile in others.

“It was not an easy decision to make,” Leliana said softly, sitting on the edge of her bed, “But this is something I have to do. That man you saw me with? He is one of the Grey Wardens.”

“He is?” Andrea asked in disbelief. She knew there were soldiers in the village looking for Wardens, but she did not expect one to actually be there. She could not help but think it was a stupid plan, going where one knew they were wanted.

“The Blight is here, Andrea,” Leliana looked up at her, eyes soft and face set in an expression of determination, “And I must do my part to help stop it.”

“But why you?” Andrea took a cautioned step forward, watching Leliana closely. The woman looked down to her folded hands in her lap.

“It is...difficult to explain,” she said, “But I know this is where I need to be.”

Andrea remained quiet, watching as Leliana sat and stared at her hands. Neither spoke for several minutes. Neither moved, both seeming lost in thought. Andrea wondered what Leliana had to be thinking. What was it that drove her to such a calling.

“I’m never going to see you again, am I?” Andrea asked softly. Leliana looked up quickly.

“Now, what makes you think such a thing?” she asked lightly, but Andrea could hear a small hitch in her voice, as if she did not quite believe it herself.

“You’re going off to fight against the _Blight_ , Leliana,” Andrea said, then catching herself, “Sister Leliana.”

Leliana was quiet, watching Andrea carefully. She always had a way of studying people, as if she could see their deepest secrets just by looking into their eyes.

“And I am more skilled than I look,” Leliana rose to her feet, walking over to Andrea, “We will see each other again one day.”

Andrea thought that Leliana did not sound so sure. Either that or it was Andrea’s own doubts shading the tone.

“I’ll miss you,” Andrea said softly. Leliana was standing close now. She longed to step closer, to feel what it was like to hold this woman in her arms just once. She held herself back, however. Leliana may be leaving to fight, but she was still a Chantry Sister. She would not sully that name.

“I will miss you as well,” Leliana said softly. She was watching Andrea with such tenderness that it almost made her give in to her desires. But she would not let herself do that. She would not make this harder than it was.

Instead, Andrea turned and reached for the dagger on her belt. It was a simple thing, one she had bought years ago when her family first arrived at Lothering. There were hundreds exactly like it all over the country, nothing special about the dagger except it was one that had served her well over the past three years. Slowly, Andrea held the blade out to Leliana.

“Here,” she said, “It’s not much, but maybe it will help you one day.”

Leliana looked surprised at the gesture. She looked down to the dagger Andrea was holding out, then slowly reached out for it. As she took the hilt, her fingers brushed against Andrea’s hand and she was surprised to feel rough calluses there. Just another of Leliana’s secrets, it seemed.

“Thank you, Andrea,” Leliana said softly, holding the dagger gently in her hands, “I will take careful care of it, I promise.”

Andrea nodded, forcing herself to give the woman a smile. She was always supposed to be the cheerful one, after all. Always one with a joke to make others frustrated.

“Well, I should get going before Bethany comes looking,” she said, “And you know how she hates coming into the Chantry when the Templars are around.”

Leliana smiled in return.

“Of course,” she said, “And please, be careful. These are dangerous times, Andrea.”

Andrea nodded as she turned away from Leliana, well aware that this could be the last time she ever saw the lovely young woman. These were dangerous times indeed.

**Author's Note:**

> This is connected to my story, Blight's Shadow. The two elves mentioned are Warden Atlan Mahariel and apostate Aster Surana.


End file.
